All signs point to the Sharks being just outside the playoff picture because of their aging core and because Alberta teams are on the rise, but perhaps we should pump the brakes on that a little bit. It’s going to be a battle as only 0.7 projected points separate San Jose, Anaheim, Edmonton, Calgary and Los Angeles, but the Sharks look to be the current leader of the tightly knit Pacific. The gap is closing fast though.

What these projections are saying when it’s that close is that they have a good idea of which five teams will be fighting for a spot, but they’re all close enough that any combination of them is feasible. We’re basically splitting hairs here. There would be no surprises if any of the five ended up winning the division or missing the playoffs entirely. There’s no certainty on which three or four it’ll be or who ends up on top. The Sharks are in a good spot as the likeliest...